Episode 064: A Case Study for Practice: Stayner Architects

How can architects redesign the practice model of architecture?

In this week's episode, we interview Christian Stayner to learn more about his process for designing his projects and the business model for his firm. Stayner Architects is a case study firm bridging the role of the architect, developer, designer, builder, strategist, and even expanding into the role of operator.

Stayner Architects, a practice based in Los Angeles, is focused on architecture for food systems – the spaces where food is produced, consumed, grown, and distributed – specifically for nonprofit educational and cultural institutions. Additionally, the practice is unique in that it acts as developers and operators of roughly half of the projects in the office at a given time – much of this in food and hospitality. Sometimes this also involves the construction of projects under their general contractor license.

The practice has been working to consolidate its food systems knowledge into an online resource called Tools & Utensils, which launches in February and provides educational and cultural institutions strategies for approaching issues such as sustainability, STEM learning, labor equity, and public health/nutrition.

Guest:

Christian Stayner, AIA, NCARB, Managing Partner of Stayner Architects, is a licensed architect in California, Hawaii, Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico, and a general contractor in California. He received his undergraduate degree in International Development from Harvard College and his professional degree from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University. His undergraduate and graduate research focused on temporary settlement patterns due to forced migration resulting from war and colonialism, specifically two long-term refugee settlements in southern and central Somalia.

Christian has fifteen years of experience in architectural design, project and construction management, and development. His expertise includes designing and managing projects from conception through ongoing operations, and works across scales, from campus master planning to single-family homes. He has consulted for governmental and non-governmental agencies, academic and cultural institutions, and private corporations. Christian has held academic appointments at the University of Michigan’s Taubman College, Woodbury University’s School of Architecture, and at Arizona State University’s Herberger Institute for Art and Design. His research focuses on geographies of architectural materials including production networks, infrastructures, and logistics.

Christian’s work has been exhibited at the Venice Architecture Biennale, California College of the Arts, the University of Virginia, Woodbury University, and the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art. Before taking on his current role at Stayner Architects, he worked as an architect in Rotterdam and New York City for firms including the Office for Metropolitan Architecture and Thomas Phifer & Partners.

📍 Show Links:

Stayner Architects

📚 Continue Learning:

> Tila project overview > shop: Tilda

> Bacetti project overview > visit: Bacetti

> Desert Wave House project overview > visit: Desert Wave House

Food Systems Architecture (Stayner Architects' new research tools and utensils site)

💻 Learn about our podcast partner Monograph:

March 8th - 10th, Monograph is hosting Section Cut, a virtual conference and career fair dedicated to firm owners and operation leaders. Hear from leaders at Cottage, Krueck Sexton, Verdant Studio, and more! Register today to reserve a seat by visiting https://sectioncut.com/.

💻 Learn about our podcast partner ArchIT:

Tired of dealing with generic IT providers? ArchIT offers Complete IT Solutions for Architecture, Design, and Engineering firms, including helping architects fight back against ransomware and cybersecurity attacks. Visit http://getarchit.com/pd  to set up your free 15-min Cyber Security Assessment, or custom solutions for your design firm.

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